Samurai

Comic History

Two distinct versions of Samurai appeared in the DC Universe long after Super Friends was cancelled.

The first appeared in in feudal Japan after the members of the Justice League were scattered throughout time. This version was an actual samurai named Toshio, giving him some connection to the name. During a battle with Steppenwolf, Toshio was granted elemental abilities by a young sorceress. He battled Superman and Doctor Light before realizing that the time-displaced heroes were his allies, and then worked together with them to defeat Steppenwolf. The two heroes then departed feudal Japan on friendly terms with Toshio.

The second, modern version (who looked exactly like his Super Friends counterpart) of Samurai appeared during Brightest Day, where he was seen as a Japanese superhero was driven insane by Alan Scott and the Starheart. Samurai went on a rampage throughout Tokyo before being confronted by members of the Justice League. He was ultimately defeated by Jesse Quick and Congorilla.

In Other Media

Television

Justice League Unlimited

A modernized, less-stereotypical version of Samurai dubbed Wind Dragon appeared in Justice League Unlimited. He appeared as the leader of the Ultimen, a team of superheroes assembled by Maxwell Lord as a rival to the Justice League. Like his abilities seemed similar to those of his Super Friends counterpart, albeit with more of an emphasis on his wind abilities.

After it was discovered that the Ultimen were all gentically-engineered by Amanda Waller and Project Cadmus in order to take down the Justice League, Wind Dragon and the others became disillusioned. The heroes learned that they were all dying due to cellular degeneration, and escaped from Cadmus in order to take down the Justice League, hoping that this would lead to them at least being remembered by the public. The plan backfired, and the Ultimen were defeated by the League and taken into custody by Cadmus. Wind Dragon and the others presumably died shortly after this.

Clones of Wind Dragon and the other Ultimen later launched an assault on the Justice League Watchtower, but were defeated by Red Tornado and the other Leaguers.

He was voiced by James Sie.

Young Justice: Invasion

A teenage, female version of Samurai known as Asami “Sam” Koizumi appeared in Young Justice: Invasion. She first showed up as one of the captive teens that were sold to the Reach by Queen Bee. She was experimented upon by the aliens, and as a result began to manifest superhuman abilties. In “Before the Dawn”, she and several other survivors were rescued from the Reach, Kaldur’ahm, and Tigress by the Team. In “Cornered”, Sam and the other survivors were shown at S.T.A.R. Labs, where they were interviewed by Black Canary.

In “Runaways”, Sam fled from the facility alongside her friends Virgil Hawkins, Tye Longshadow, and Eduardo Dorado. The group rescued Blue Beetle from Amazo and Red Volcano, and were later recruited by Lex Luthor as part of his new team of teenage superheroes. She seems to only speak Japanese, most often saying “Sumimasen” (excuse me), but seems to be learning English from her new friends as she speaks short phrases in English in episodes 14 and 17.

She was voiced by Janice Kawaye.

Powers & Abilities

Able to turn into a whirwind and/or control winds by saying “Kaze No Yo, Ni Hiyaku!” –Swift As The Wind. He occasionally displayed other powers as the plot required– turning invisible (Tomei Ningen, “transparent man”) or bursting into flames (Ingo Moen, “vaguely foreign-sounding meaningless gibberish”).